


Zodiac

by aquarelle05



Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: AU- No fire, Causeit'sreal for me shut up guys!, F/F, Horoscope, Yeah I like this pairing, Zodiac signs - Freeform, still need a beta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-08
Updated: 2014-12-08
Packaged: 2018-02-28 16:45:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2739728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquarelle05/pseuds/aquarelle05
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Heavy rain hit the glass windows of the office, steady and rythmic. Rain or no rain, the room looked dull and grey, most of the time; looking up from her book, Juli thought about how the red of Laura's dress made a nice change.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Zodiac

**The Maiden and The Fish**

Juli looks up from her book, her reading forgotten for the second time that evening. And for the second time that evening, Laura doesn’t notice, too busy worrying her lower lip while reading the little magazine she’d taken from the pile Juli keeps on the coffee table for no particular reason, an air of quiet determination about her.

When the young woman licks her lips and Juli finds herself following the movement, she shifts her gaze back to the yellowed pages of the tome.

It goes on like that for a few more minutes; only the sound of pages turning breaking the stillness between them.

That, plus the small, quick glances Laura throws her way when she thinks she isn’t looking. Every time, Juli’s heart halts for a second and she prays to not be asked what she’s reading. Though she doesn’t give any hint of it, she hasn’t been interested in her lecture since Laura entered the room, an apology on her lips as she explained that Detective Castellanos had wished to speak to her brother in private.

She scoffs inside. As if she didn’t know about the bet between him and Joseph regarding her ..sexual preferences. But –she looks over the rim of her book again- she has to confess Sebastian hadn’t been half wrong in this one. Oh, but she’d get back at him, alright. One way or the other, she would. Just for her reputation, if every other excuse failed her.

She flips to the next page, eyes scanning the letters, looking for anything that might take her attention from where it’s not welcome. It doesn’t work. Across her, pale fingers play with a lock of soft looking black hair before moving back to the corner of the magazine, folding and straightening it with the tips of her fingers over and over.

She waits.

“What zodiac sign are you?” Not…exactly what she’d expected, but she’d take it. In one calculated motion, Juli sets the open book on her clean, tidy desk. Her eyes met cerulean ones, or try to; Laura’s gaze kept shifting around the room, staring at everything but at Juli.

“Excuse me?” Her words come out in their usual monotone, no emotion showing. She notices the way Laura’s hands folds neatly on her thighs, only to unfold and straighten the red dress she wore. The corners of her mouth curl upwards, a small smile to try and hide her uneasiness. She bows her head.

It looks too much as if she’s about to surrender for Juli’s liking.

“Ah, please forgive me, detective.” Laura’s voice is clear, pleasant. If she had been a poetess- and she’d make a very bad one- she’d probably compare it to a breeze of spring; light and fresh and sweet and what not. “Surely you have more important things to do than entertain people.”

She nods to her forgotten book. Juli looked down, reads the big, golden words; _‘A guide through the Development of Laws and Rights in the United States.’_

Ah, so that’s what it was.

Before she can open her lips to say that it’s alright, that she has no other things to do, a sharp series of quick knocks on the door stop her. A deep inhale of breathe, she tries to stay calm. It could only be her luck that she’s only managed to get two words in before Laura leaves, right? To her ears, her voice sounds strained, “Come in.”

She pretends not to notice the quick glance Sebastian throws at them both, his smile growing taunt as he tries to hide his disappointment from showing. Behind him stands a blond man with pale features and sharp eyes. At Sebastian’s pause, he clears his throat meaningfully.

Frustration boils in the pitch of her stomach.

Still smiling Laura saves his co-worker the embarrassment. “I’ll be out in a moment,” She throws a nervous glance at Sebastian. “I was just saying goodbye to Miss Kidman.”

Juli spares a glance to her co-worker. He scratches the back of his head, gives an awkward nod, and retreats, leaving the door half closed behind him.

She reaches to her desk and snaps her book shut, not minding about losing the page she’d stopped reading at. Laura jumps in her seat, and Juli would have regretted her action if those cerulean eyes hadn’t met her own for the first time in that day. With a quick smile, Laura’s eyes are on the blue pencil case beside her lamp. “I should get going.”

 _‘And isn’t that just my luck,’_ Nodding, Juli sat up from her seat, soon followed by Laura. She smiles thinly, knowing that both found it forced; she’s intent on not showing her defeat, though. After opening the door for the younger woman, she holds it until the last strand of dark hair leaves the office. Shortly after closing the door, her hand finds the small golden lock just above the handle. She turns it, hearing the small, reassuring click that means she’d not get a fuming Sebastian entering her office without knocking first.

Not like she’d let him in if he did, either way.

Juli turns around, looking at her office. It looks dull, without colour, the green plant at the corner of the room not nearly as vibrant. It is raining outside. She considers opening the windows, not to to get rid of the remaining aroma of Laura’s perfume, of course; just to let some fresh air in. She takes a sniff and closes her eyes, deciding against it.

Walking around her desk, she takes away the cups from her desk, still full with now-cold coffee. The magazine _she_ had been reading sits on the corner of the coffee table, apart from the neat pile on the other end. Strangely, it doesn’t look out of place there, as if it belonged away from the others.

The cups make a soft clacking sound when Juli sets them on the table, the magazine pages smooth under her fingertips as she looks for a worn, bent corner. In the end, it leads her to a short text with a blue background, the drawing of a fish leaping beside the curved words of ‘ _Pisces’_.

She leans back onto her desk and starts reading.

_‘You might find yourself in an unexpected situation today involving a Virgo. They may show a cool exterior and be of quiet nature, but their qualities extend far beyond that;_ _a Virgo is said to be independent, well-ordered, stylish, a worrier and a perfectionist. So don’t make it personal if they pretend to be busy! There’s a good chance that- even if their pride won’t allow them to admit it- they have found you, Pisces, to be quite the eye candy and are waiting for the perfect moment to make their move. But remember! This could take a while. Just be yourself and don’t feel intimidated! Good luck!’_

She turns the page. The face of a model cradling a perfume bottle to her face stares back. Juli sets the magazine down on her desk, refusing to believe that the text had practically summarised the last hour or so. Because Laura _had to_ have been reading that; she wrinkles her nose, that model isn’t nearly pretty enough to be stared at for so long.

The rain hits glass windows; she stands like that, deep in thought. Her gaze returns to the brightly coloured cover. If it hasn’t escaped her notice, it surely hasn’t escaped Seb’s. She sits back down in front of her desk, opens a drawer and places the magazine at the very bottom.

It just wouldn’t do to let the bastard win so easily.

Leaning back into her chair, she stares at the ceiling. Though she doesn’t remember the date she had been born in, Virgo seems to describe her quite right, now that she thinks about it. Her thoughts return to Laura. Juli opens a new tab in her computer, writing ‘Pisces’ and waiting for her search to load.

Maybe, some background research about this peculiar zodiac sign would be useful next time they met.

And knowing Sebastian, that’d be as soon as the woman stepped in Krimson City Police Department next week.

 


End file.
